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There is one key in your recovery that is the foundation for living the rest of your life pornfree. Hint: it’s not your days sober or how perfect you are. It’s your form.
In this episode, I talk about running and how it applies to our recovery.
“A solid foundation in good running technique will provide the necessary support for all that comes later. Your form is the base of the pyramid upon which increased distance, and then speed will be supported. In short, your pyramid will be only as solid as the base upon which it’s built. – Danny Dreyer, ChiRunning (2004)
Running Pyramid
Form is the foundation for us. It’s the things we do that keep us on track and keep us focused on our pornfree goal.
Distance is our endurance. Our ability to endure and run longer with less setbacks.
Speed is the ease and efficiency that we live this habit. It’s a success that comes after much training.
All too often we are looking for the quick fix. We want a immediate solution or piece of software that will eliminate our problem. Some of us even thought marriage or that perfect relationship would “fix” us. We want to skip training and cut right to #winning.
Sometimes we get hung up on endurance. Like it’s all about the days. We think if we get to 90 days by any means necessary than we will have something. But chasing chips and days is meaningless if you aren’t developing good habits. It’s not sustainable to white-knuckle this for the rest of your life.
Which brings us back to form. The little things we do day and day out to make real change.
What Does Good Form Look Like?
Good form is the things we have been talking about:
- Setting Consequences (Episode 004)
- Planning Ahead (Episode 005)
- Getting Filters and Safeguards in Place (Episode 003)
- Connecting with Others (Episode 001)
It’s not just one fix. It’s a holistic approach to this problem. There are many things that you can add to your plan to keep your form up.
Other Examples:
- Making Calls
- Exercise
- Accountability Relationships or a Group
- Hobbies
- Reading
Signs of Fatigue
Temptation or a strong draw to the old habits. When you get tired or are burning out:
- Shorten your stride (take smaller steps, slow down)
- Eliminate things that are adding pressure or stress (keep focused on this habit)
- Reset your posture
- Practice self-care
Troubleshooting After a Failure
- What went wrong? How did you lose your form?
- Were you going too fast or pushing?
- Did you give into “all or nothing” kind of thinking? If I am not perfect…
- Remember, “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”
- Pick back up that form and keep going.
Thanks for all your ratings and reviews in iTunes. If you haven’t had a chance yet please rate it and review at iTunes because that helps get the word out. I realize this is a porn-themed podcast, so if you don’t want to leave a public review that’s okay just leave a rating. Also tell a friend who might benefit from it.
